Héros malgré lui

Stephen Frears made a fantastic film in 'Hero'.... the underrated Masterpiece of Hollywood from the year 1992. The film is engaging, interesting, gripping, enjoyable almost everything you want to see in a film, when you grow up.

There is a hero in all of us, says Andy Garcia in the film, the film leaves you happy, that even in some ways everyone is a hero. A quality in all of us, that has or can make us a Hero!

Laura Ziskin, Alvin Sargent & David Webb Peoples the writer's of 'Hero' deserve a pat for their hard work and brilliant writing. And the director's understanding and execution is just a cherry on the cake.

Performance wise: Dustin Hoffman excels as Bernie. The legendary actor steals the show with an outstanding performance. Andy Garcia is excellent. His character might look Grey, but when he takes up the deeds, you route for the so-called hero. Geena Davis looks gorgeous and delivers a first-rate performance. Chevy Chase is wonderful. Joan Cusack is just right. Kevin J. O'Connor, Maury Chaykin & Stephen Tobolowsky are efficient.

on the whole 'Hero' is heroic indeed. A must see for all cinema lovers. Two Thumbs Up!

Dustin H is at his brilliant best. Listen carefully to his closing speech to his son(delivered with passion in the zoo). Words of wisdom about the state of the human zoo we live in. The movie has humour, pathos and some great lines. One of my favourites.

This was one of my favorite movies. Its basic message is that no one is either 100% good or 100% sleazy, as Hoffman and Garcia's characters show. Hoffman plays a two-bit thief who rescues a bunch of people from a downed airplane (including news reporter Geena Davis), and Garcia, a seemingly noble Vietnam vet, winds up taking credit for it.

Basically, the movie shows the dangers of our need for a hero and the media's glorifying of such a need. I liked this movie a lot.

*** out of ****

It has already been a while since I've seen a movie with Dustin Hoffman in it, which is really a shame. I've always admired his work and once again he proves to be a very talented actor with this movie.

This time he's playing Bernie Laplante, a little criminal who hasn't really had much luck in recent times. He's constantly having a fight with his ex over his son, he lives in a miserable apartment, he drives an incredibly old car... But than a plane crashes just right in front of his nose. And even though he has always been described as antisocial, he saves the lives of 54 people by opening the airplane's door and helping everybody out.

One of the people he has saved is a TV reporter. She immediately sees a good story in it and wants to interview him. But because she, nor her news station know who he is, they will give him one million dollar in return for an interview. All they know is that he has lost a size 10 shoe in the mud. Of course hundreds of people claim to be him, but one homeless guy, who got the other shoe from him, really can make them believe he's the true hero. He gets the million and makes up a beautiful story on how he all did it. Of course Bernie sees this (when he is in jail) and decides to confront the man with the truth.

This movie may not appeal to everybody, because not everybody may appreciate this kind of humor. Personally I find this a very good satire, that has actually a good point. In their search for sensational, touching news, TV stations will do really everything and seem to forget that the most important thing is still reality. If you are looking for a good comedy, with some fine acting and a good story, than this movie is really something you should try. I give it a 7.5/10.

Hero is the story of a not so nice man that performs an extra-ordinary act of courage. He rescues a crashed plane full of trapped passengers. And after he does, he disappears into the night, never to be seen again---that is until a T.V. station offers 1 million dollars for the man to come forward and identify himself. Someone else takes the credit through a funny series of events that should remain unsaid.

This film is a true treasure. It not only examines fragile human issues like family responsibility, love, our stigmas that we set upon heroes and morality, but it is a damn entertaining movie. It is also a tearjerker. Not many people gave this film a chance but now that it is out on video, check this one out. You will be glad you did.